The introduction of the Defensive Contribution scoring system in Fantasy Premier League has fundamentally shifted how managers evaluate defensive assets. No longer is it solely about clean sheets and attacking returns, the two extra points awarded for hitting a defensive contributions threshold have propelled a new breed of player into the FPL limelight. Every season it was the CBs being ignored for fullbacks due to their ability to rack up bonus points and attacking returns however that has changed this season. In the intial few weeks many including me were finding this to be farcical and this Defcon rule a gimmick, however after 8 Gameweeks and a larger sample size i can safely say that this Defcon rule is actually a game changer. Here are the top scoring defenders this season and as you can notice the ratio of CBs to fullbacks has completely switched.
The early season data overwhelmingly suggests that CBs are the primary beneficiaries of the DEFCON rule. This is largely down to the type of defensive actions that count towards the score, such as clearances, blocks, and interceptions (CBIT), which are high volume activities for central defenders in teams that face a reasonable amount of pressure. Interestingly, some defensive midfielders, such as Josh Cullen, Granit Xhaka and Caicedo have also consistently hit their higher required threshold (12 contributions for midfielders), making them valuable assets for managers looking for a more defensive minded option in the middle of the park. After all 2 Defcon points every week is much better than chasing a rare 12 point haul.
So who are the leaders in this category, here is the breakdown:
Most DEFCON Achievers (DEFs) – Defenders
Senesi (AFC Bournemouth): 7, Tarkowski (Everton): 7, Andersen (Fulham): 6, Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool): 5 and Mukiele (Sunderland): 5
Most DEFCON Achievers (MIDs) – Midfielders
Cullen (Burnley): 5, Xhaka (Sunderland): 5, Caicedo (Chelsea): 4, Garner (Everton): 4 and Anderson (Nottingham Forest): 4
Most DEFCON Achieved (Teams)
Everton: 21, Sunderland: 21, Burnley: 20, Crystal Palace: 19 and Bournemouth: 18
Least DEFCON Achievers (Teams)
Aston Villa: 6, Man City: 8, Arsenal: 9, Spurs: 9 and Man Utd: 10
Senesi and Tarkowsi are the Defcon monster racking up DC points 7/8 Gameweeks. Mukiele as well started playing for Sunderland in Gameweek 3 and has hit the threshold 5/6 times only missing out once and that was also just by one contribution, finishing on 9 contributions against Nottingham Forest. Chris Richards, Guehi and Lacroix are all great assets, Palace are one of the best defensive teams despite the 6 goal thriller on Saturday. Gabriel needs no explanation, he is a must have at this point and he bagged another goal and an assist for the Gunners against Atletico last night a set piece monster who also racks up good DC points.
In midfielders no surprise to see Xhaka and Caicedo, if you are going to be purchasing one, go for Caicedo in my opinion. He has good goal threat and will feature 90 mins every match for a top Chelsea side and is currently the second highest scoring mid after Semenyo. For those looking at other options Xhaka acts as both a defensive shield and a creative outlet getting attacking returns like assists. His high contributions and potential for Goal/Assist threat make him an attractive, cheap option. James Garner is another great defensive minded midfielder. He plays for a team that defends heavily, resulting in a high volume of defensive actions. He has also been noted for having high xGI compared to the other defensive mids. However given the lack of firepower for the Forwards this season, it is better to just keep one of Caicedo, Xhaka and Garner and have 4 attacking midfielders as the best formation right now is a 3-5-2.
Teams that keep possession are the ones that do not gather DC at all, Man City, Arsenal and Spurs have the fewest Defcon achievers whereas Everton, Sunderland and Burnley have the most Defcon achievers. Mukiele and Alderte have emerged as the £4.1m gems this season. Constantly racking up DC points, goal threat and have kept 4 clean sheets this season despite being a newly promoted side. Le Bris’s side are genuine contenders for a midtable finish if they are able to sustain this form till Christmas.
Look past clean sheets Andersen, for example, is hitting the DEFCON bonus regularly despite Fulham not being among the league’s top clean sheet teams, showcasing the rule’s ability to reward defensive activity over just results. The defensive data also shows which opponents concede the most defensive contributions to opposition CBs. Targeting defenders facing teams that encourage a high volume of defensive actions can be a smart way to maximise DEFCON returns.
In a season where the rules have changed, FPL managers ignoring the rise of the DEFCON magnets are doing so at their peril. FPL has made a great addition adding this new rule as CBs have now finally become viable in the game and hopefully the team sees this feedback and decides to continue with this for the future.
